brainpopfandomcom-20200223-history
Vikings/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, and a robot, Moby, appear with bearded men holding weapons and shields on a 9th century Viking ship. MOBY: Beep. TIM: I don't know where they're taking us, but pipe down, ok? Otherwise I think Bjorn here is gonna whack me with his atgeir and send me straight to Asgard. MOBY: Beep? TIM:It's a Viking thing. You wouldn't understand. By the way, what's with that hat? Moby is wearing a hat with horns on it. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Real Vikings didn't wear horns on their helmets. That's a myth. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, sorry that you paid $50 for it. You got cheated. A Viking explorer gives Tim a letter. Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, I want to know about vikings. From, Sir Sean. Hmmm, this must be from that Irish nobleman whose castle we just sacked. The explorer growls. TIM: Well, Sir Sean, as you probably realize now, the Vikings were warriors and adventurers from Scandinavia. That's the part of Europe that include the modern countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. A map shows these countries. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Right, because they were from Northern Europe, they were also known as Northmen or Norsemen. The Vikings first gained attention around 800 C.E., during the Middle Ages, or medieval period. An animation shows a ship traveling on a timeline. The timeline is labeled Middle Ages and the year 800 is highlighted. TIM: Out of nowhere, they began staging bloody, destructive raids on monasteries and villages in Northern Europe. A map shows Viking ships sailing to other parts of Europe and fireballs appear where the Vikings staged their raids. TIM: The next 250 years is often called the Viking Age. The ship on the timeline is shown above a shaded area of the timeline, between the highlighted years 800 and 1100, labeled the Viking Age. TIM: People lived in total fear of their attacks, which occurred frequently. An animation shows a frightened set of eyes peering out of a dark castle. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Sure, they were tough fighters, but they owed much of their success to superior strategy and technology. Viking longships were much faster and more maneuverable than other ships of the era. They could cross the open sea, and navigate rivers and channels, too. An animation shows a Viking longship. TIM: The Vikings were first-rate sailors and navigators, with expert knowledge of European coastlines. And they knew where to find valuable goods in areas that weren't well-defended. An image shows a Viking pointing to a marked area on a map. TIM: Typically, Viking longships would move in quickly without warning, and the men on board would stage speedy hit-and-run attacks. By the time the locals mustered enough force to fight them off, they'd already be gone. An animation shows longships docked along a coastline and Vikings burning buildings and attacking the town's people. TIM: After a while, the Vikings got more ambitious. Small raiding parties were replaced by invading armies, often with thousands of warriors. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Let's see. During the 9th and 10th centuries, Vikings captured and settled a huge chunk of eastern England. A map animation shows Viking ships sailing to the east coast of England. The area the Vikings settled is shaded red. TIM: They also forced the English to pay them thousands of pounds of silver to prevent them from wrecking the rest of the country. Bags of silver pile up and cover the map. TIM: In France, they became such a headache that the king simply gave them the region of Normandy. In return, they promised to protect France against future Viking raids. An animation shows three Vikings watching the king of France stamp his approval on a map of France, giving them Normandy. TIM: Other Vikings wound up settling in Iceland, Russia, Ukraine, and Italy, and launching raids as far away as the Middle East. This helped them establish major trade routes that connected the Mediterranean and northern Europe. A map shows the areas the Vikings settled and the trade routes that connect them. TIM: They even tried to take over Constantinople, in modern Turkey. The capital of the Byzantine Empire, it was one of the biggest and most important cities in the medieval world. The map shows Constantinople. A call-out shows all of the buildings in the city. TIM: They failed, but the Byzantine Emperor was so impressed that he paid them to join a new, elite fighting force called the Varangian Guard. An image shows Varangian Guard soldiers. TIM: Meanwhile, Vikings led by Erik the Red, and his son, Leif Ericsson, established settlements in Greenland and Canada. A map shows these settlements and a Viking ship. MOBY: Beep? TIM: You heard me, the Vikings reached North America 500 years before Columbus. An image shows Vikings landing in North America. TIM: They eventually abandoned their colony there, but some of the ruins still exist in Newfoundland. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Why did the Vikings do all this? Oh, it's pretty simple: money, fame, and glory. Most Vikings did not come from noble or wealthy backgrounds, so raiding and plundering were good ways for them to move up in the world. An animation shows a Viking blacksmith imagining himself as a warrior. TIM: And according to their religion, the bravest warriors, especially those who died in battle, would feast with the gods in the afterlife. An image shows Vikings drinking beer and feasting on a roasted pig and other meat. TIM: Many Norse people also wanted to establish new trade routes, and settle new land that they could farm. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, no. They weren't just uncivilized raiders; among themselves, Vikings were extremely cultured. An animation shows a Viking man playing a stringed instrument while another man listens. TIM: They placed great importance on the rule of law, which all people, even kings, had to obey. Accused criminals received public jury trials and there were legislative assemblies called "things," where the Norse elected leaders and discussed important issues. An animation shows Viking people in a mountain village meeting and talking with each other. TIM: Every citizen, male and female, had the right to voice an opinion at these gatherings. An animation shows a Viking woman expressing her opinion to a man. TIM: Speaking of which, women had more rights in Viking society than elsewhere in medieval Europe. They could own property and even divorce their husbands. An image shows two Viking women. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, the Viking Age came to an end in the 11th century. European kings began building large armies that could stand up to Norse invasions, and new taller ships helped make Viking longboats obsolete. Side by side images show an army and a tall ship. TIM: Most Norse people also ended up converting to Christianity, which discouraged them from raiding and plundering other European Christians. But their legacy is still with us; in our language, our culture, and our literature. Text reads, "odd," "gift," "law," and "skin." Images show a book titled "Destiny's Hammer" and a Vikings sports team logo. MOBY: Beep! Moby points straight up. TIM: Yeah, and in our theme park rides, too. Moby points to a sign above. Tim and Moby are at a theme park in a replica of a Viking longship. The ride is called "Vikings of the North Sea." Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts